Big races always begin the same in swimming. The buzzer sounds, the swimmers burst from the blocks and spectators, coaches and athletes alike all hold their breath. Then, all at once, the room is flooded with exhilarating energy, as the sounds of splashes seem to synchronize into a single beat.

On Nov. 12, 2010, at the WIAA (Wis.) Girls Division II state meet, senior Alison Meng fired off the blocks for one of the last times as an individual in high school. In the 2009 meet, she claimed two individual titles in the 100-meter fly and 100 back, and she was looking to defend her fly title as she entered the water and went to work.

Meng’s hand was the first to touch the wall and clock in. She emerged victorious for yet another year, but, with a final time of 55.94 seconds, she was also the new record holder for the 100 fly in her respective division.

On July 1, 2011, the first day that college coaches were allowed to contact athletes, a call from Illinois assistant head coach Steve Farnau gave Meng an opportunity she never considered: a swimming career at Illinois.

Meng said she was first contacted by Minnesota and Kentucky.

“Then, I just looked more into it, went on a visit (to Illlnois), and love the team and this campus,” she said.

Illinois head coach Sue Novitsky said Meng was really talented coming in and was particularly appealing because of her two state performances. Novitsky said she took this as a signal that Meng could handle pressure situations.

After signing on for her first collegiate season at Illinois, Meng’s performance did not disappoint. She seized notable victories against teams such as Nebraska and Northwestern and contributed to the Illini’s second-place finish in last year’s Northwestern Invitational. She was a freshman who traveled from her home in Lodi, Wis., to Champaign and consistently made an impression, doing something that she loves.

Then, she made a mistake.

Before the start of this season in the summer, Meng and a friend were spending their night among the crowds of Red Lion. Champaign County allows people under 21 into its bars, and Illinois students often choose to immerse themselves with the campus’s nightlife. And while this is not a crime, it enhances the temptation to consume alcohol.

The 19-year-old sophomore said she was sharing a drink with a friend when an undercover officer approached her. She and her friend were both issued a $320 ticket.

“We have our team policies, and she violated our team policies,” Novitsky said. “So it’s pretty cut-and-dry what happened.”

Novitsky said policy required the team to suspend Meng for the first week of practice and for the first meet of the collegiate season. Although, missing in-season training would be tough, she said she had other challenges following her suspension.

“It was really hard from me to tell the team,” Meng said. “That was a challenge, so it was the concern right away. I was like, ‘I don’t want the incoming freshmen to think badly of me. I’m trying to be a leader.”

The suspension had dealt Meng the first blow of her collegiate career. As is true with any punishable act, there will always be the opinions and judgments of others whether they are good or bad. Some athletes have a tendency to dwell on mistakes, worrying about the perspectives of peers or feel the weight of guilt from their actions.

However, Meng was not one of these athletes.

“She served her punishment, whatever you want to call it,” Novitsky said. “She took accountability for her action and, if they make a mistake, that’s the most I can ask them to do. I know that everyone makes mistakes.”

In the aftermath, Meng said she had learned her lesson and would never do anything to hurt the team or hurt her chances of competing again. She said her action wasn’t worth the risk and punishment.

Meng waited out the duration of her suspension and prepared herself for her first meet this year against Michigan State on Oct. 26.

While some may have been fueled by the suspension, Meng said she put it out of mind.

“I didn’t really have a specific goal, just to prove myself again to the team,” she said.

Her first meet began with the traditional 200-medley relay, and Meng was leading off. Firing off the blocks in backstroke form, it was clear that Meng wasn’t going to let the past weigh her down.

With Meng’s help, the Illini claimed a win in their first event, which was significant in a meet that was expected to be close.

Three events later, Meng broke ahead of the competition in the 100 back and secured the Illini yet another individual win. This time though, she had done more than just win. She had broken the ARC pool record with a time of 56.26.

As the pool roared with excitement and the announcer loudly proclaimed that a record had been broken, Meng said she remained unaware of her feat. Upon touching the wall, she only cared about beating her own personal times and moving forward.

At the Illinois State meet, which was the Illini’s first road competition, Meng tore past the opposing Redbirds and broke two more pool records in the Horton pool. Clocking times of 26.90 and 56.80 in the 50 and 100 back, respectively, Meng said she was working to be better than ever.

“The big step for her this year has been how she races in season, and she had taken a huge step forward from last season in terms of that,” Novitsky said. “We’ve been working with her on certain aspects of her strokes and her turns and a lot of the details, which are still pretty rough. So, it’s kind of scary how much faster, as she continues to improve, that she can get.”

With the Northwestern Invitational on the horizon, there is no lingering doubt that Meng will strive to out do herself despite the setback of last summer. Even Novitsky has said Meng’s focus is on the present and the future, not the past.

“It’s just about having a better year than last year and doing what I can for the team,” Meng said.

J.J. can be reached at [email protected].